This invention relates to a connector provided with a short-circuit member for short-circuiting open metal terminals and an insulating member for disabling the short-circuit member.
Air bags have been increasingly used for protecting a passenger against an impact in the event of a car crash or accident. An operating circuit for such an air bag is formed by connecting metal terminals connected to an igniter for a gas-generating agent to metal terminals connected to a power source via an impact sensor. When the car collides, the impact sensor sends current to the igniter to ignite the gas-generating agent to produce a large amount of gas, thereby inflating the air bag.
Although the air bag is required to be positively operated in the event of a collision, the air bag must be operated only when a collision occurs. For example, the connection between the connectors can be released during the inspection or installation of the air bag at which time the metal terminals within the air bag-side connector housing become open. Even in this condition, however, there is a chance that a magnetic field or an electric field produced around these open metal terminals induces a voltage to develop between the open metal terminals so that current flows into the igniter of the air bag, thus causing erroneous operation.
In order to solve the problem of erroneous inflation of the air bag, one connector has been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 1-77287. More specifically, a pair of metal terminals connected to an igniter and a short-circuit member of an electrically-conductive material that resiliently contacts upper surfaces of the pair of metal terminals are provided within an air bag-side connector housing, whereas metal terminals connected to a power source and an insulating member adapted to intrude between the short-circuit member and the upper surfaces of the metal terminals (with which the short-circuit member is resiliently contacted) when the two connector housings are fitted together are provided within a power source-side connector housing. When the two housings are not fitted together, the short-circuit member resiliently contacts the metal terminals within the air bag-side housing to prevent a potential difference from developing between the metal terminals, thereby preventing current from accidentally flowing into the igniter, thus preventing an erroneous operation. When the housings are fitted together, the insulating member or plate intrudes between the short-circuit member and the pair of metal terminals to interrupt an electrical connection between the pair of metal terminals, and by doing so, a short-circuit accident is prevented from occurring when current flows into the igniter side.
However, the conventional connector is of such a construction that the short-circuit member is disposed above the upper surfaces of the pair of metal terminals and is resiliently contacted therewith, therefore increasing the vertical dimension of the housing. As a result, the use of such a connector has often been limited. Such a disadvantage may arise not only in the connector for an air bag, but also in those connectors with a short-circuit member for other applications.